day...wheee!!....140

This was a pretty darn good day

     I met two friends for a bike ride in town.  It started off well, but one had a meeting to go to and the other had exercised in the a.m. and was pretty worn out.
     But it was great for the first half hour, talking to actual people!
     I stopped for a coffee and across the street from the store a young woman was out with some kids.
     After about 5 minutes, she put the kids in a stroller and crossed the street towards me.
     "Mr. Dickow?" she asked.
     Turned out to be a former student.  We were talking about all sorts of things when she mentioned being out on a walk in the woods and coming across a small spring.
     She said she was going to make a reference to "Tuck Everlasting," but figured most adults would not know what she was talking about.
     She remembered me reading "Tuck Everlasting" to the class!  She loved the book, still does.
     If you have never read the book, I recommend  it.  I read it again shortly after my brother died, and it had a powerful effect on me.  Still does.
     Anyway, she asked me what my favorite books were and did not hesitate.  "Tuck Everlasting" and "The Great Gilly Hopkins."
     Reading children's literature is one of the things I do miss about teaching.  I could list 25 books that I liked, either as read alouds or to recommend to a student.
     One year I read "The Avion My Uncle Flew."  I told students to keep a notebook on French phrases, because the book would use a French word in the story, then explain the word, and in doing so integrated the language into the story.
     The last 4 pages of the book were entirely in French, and students who kept up with the translations could read it!  I invited French language students from the high school to come and read the ending.  We had a blast with students sharing laughter, and baguettes coated with chocolate.
     By the way, that was the only book I took from my classroom when I retired.  Now, I wonder where it is.
     Capped off the day by giving Jackie a tour of the yard on the golf cart and having a great meal from a local restaurant.
     Teca, you guys rock...everyone in the kitchen and all the servers were wearing masks.   Mentally, made me feel like my food was safe.
     Stay healthy.  Stay safe.  Mask it or casket.
Peace and Love


     Here's a look at my native garden plot.